Womenz only trip with mom, granny and sister...we are planning on going to Hershey [Homer Simpson on]ummm...chocolate...[/Homer Simpson off] and Philly and maybe Lancaster.  Are there any "must see" things that aren't in the tour guides?  Any places we should avoid like the plague?  

ML

Last year I got my wife a day at the Spa at Hotel Hershey for her birthday. They have chocolate baths, chocolate rubs and all that wimmen kinda stuff. She still raves about the hot rock massage. Can cost the price of a cheap AR upper to beyond an high end competition AR though.

If you go to Lancaster, you have to pronounce it "Lank-ass-ter" or all the Pennsavanya Dutch folk will think yer 'one of dem english from the big city'.

Philly sucks except for Philly cheese steaks and the Italian market in S. Philly. Note that there is a growning grass roots movement in PA to re-route the Delaware River through Chester County W. of Philthadelphia so it becomes part of New Jersey and hence their problem.

Hershey is about 1-3/4 to 2 hrs. from Philly. Lancaster about the same. Hershey and Lancaster are about 1/2 hr. apart.

Lots of factory outlet shopping around Lancaster and Reading.

Avoid anything that says "Visit Authentic Amish Farm".

If you like quilts, the Amish make incredible ones. If you're anywhere around the tourist areas, they will be very expensive. If you're willing to spend time driving around the smaller towns around the area, you can find them at much better prices. Lots of 'country' arts and crafts stuff around there.

You must try shoofly pie while in the Lancaster area.

Harrisburg recently opened the National Civil War Museum. I haven't been there yet but I hear it's awsome.

Gettysburg is about another 1 1/2 hrs. from Lancaster or Hershey. It's a place every American should visit sometime in their life. If you go there you should plan 6-8 hrs though you can spend many more if you're a real Civil War buff. You can book private tours with historians that are extremely informational and entertaining. They also have horseback tours of the battlefield.

Stipilot,
Thanks for the great info...I am not sure about the chocolate bath thing...I want to eat the stuff, not bathe in it!  (Okay, maybe I would bathe in it if I had the money to spend!)  I would love to go to Gettysburg, but I think I will be vetoed on that one...I am having to seriously talk them in to seeing the Magna Carta display as it is.  I will make sure to get some shoofly pie... I plan on eating my way through the state...chocolate, Amish home cooking, Philly Cheese steaks.  Have you ever been to the Edgar Allan Poe house?  As a librarian, I am interested, but not sure it is worth it.

Thanks!
ML